Copyright: Music

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials have held with representatives from (i) the Federation Against Copyright Theft, (ii) the British recorded music industry and (iii) the Open Rights Group in the last 12 months. [R]

Si�n Simon: Ministers have met with representatives from the British recorded music industry (which we understand to mean the British phonographic industries) on six occasions in the last 12 months. Officials were present at two of those meetings. Ministers also met representatives from the Featured Artists Coalition on one occasion. In addition, officials met bilaterally with representatives of the BRMI on three occasions, and were involved in several wider meetings.
	Neither Ministers nor officials in my Department have met representatives from the Federation Against Copyright Theft or the Open Rights Group in the last 12 months. However, I had informal discussions with the Open Rights Group at the Cbinet Conference held on 26-28 October.